Peter's Questions
by emuroo
Summary: Peter Petigrew has asked and been asked many questions in his life. How have his answers changed over time? How have the questions changed? Part of the Reflections series, but can stand alone. Oneshot. Enjoy.


Disclaimer: Anything that you recognize isn't mine.

Author's Note: Ok, so I've been dedicating these to the people who asked for the character, but no asked for this one. I decided to do it because I had already done three of the Marauders as well as Snape and Lily, so it seemed like I should do Peter.

Peter's Questions

Once upon a time Peter Pettigrew's questions were simple.

When he was five he might ask his mother if he could have a lollipop. Or maybe he'd ask her to read him a book. All of the questions were simple ones of that nature.

When he started at Hogwarts his questions were perhaps more important, but still quite easy to answer. He asked James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black if they wanted to be his friends. He asked Professor Slughorn for tips on potion making. If the questions hadn't been answered he might have been lonely, or have ended up with a botched potion, but it was still fairly easy to decide what the answer was.

Ion his second year the four friends swore an oath. In it he was asked if he would protect the others should the need arise, and if he would promise to do so forever among other things. This was an obvious choice.

In fourth year he asked a girl to go to Hogsmeade with him. Asking this question was frightening, but it was an important step for him.

In his fifth year he was asked several questions that were harder, bigger, more important. McGonagall asked him what he wanted to do when he grew up. He thought for a long time about his answer, considered man jobs, read what seemed like millions of pamphlets. After all, it was an important decision. He was also asked by the other boys to break the law. To keep his friendship with them, not to betray them. The answer was huge, but easy.

After leaving Hogwarts Peter was asked questions by a group he had always been told to fear. The Death Eaters wanted Peter to join them. They didn't think of him as little Peter Pettigrew, the boy who wasn't nearly as smart as his brilliant friends. They told him that he could be great. He could have more power than his friends could imagine. Who could refuse such an offer?

Within a year James and Sirius came to ask him something. They wanted to know if he would be the secret keeper for the Potters. This was his chance to prove something. He could show them that he now had friends more powerful than they. It didn't matter that they thought that he was the weakest, and thus the least suspicious. He had friends who knew what he was really like.

Then Lord Voldemort asked him a question. "Where are the Potters?" Peter felt a twinge of regret as he stood before his master, but, after all, they had brought this upon themselves by looking down on him so much. They didn't deserve his loyalty.

Twelve and a half years later Peter was hiding he had been a rat for years, and now the moment he had been dreading had finally arrived. Sirius had found him. Sirius and Remus, and Harry and his friends as well, if he was honest with himself, had questions. How could you do this? How could you betray us? But Peter kept remembering how scary his lord had been. Kept thinking of the way that the others had always acted superior. As long as his mind was on that, and not on Lily and James as he had last seen them the questions were easier to answer.

Two years later as he heard of the death of Sirius Black. Soon afterwards he heard of countless atrocities committed by the dark lord. He was even asked to take part in some of them. He started asking himself questions. Questions that he hated. Hard questions. What have I done? How could I help You-Know-Who return to his body? How could I betray my friends? What have I done?

Author's Note: This is part of a series called Reflections. They are about characters reflecting on a bunch of different things. There are seven more. They are about Luna, Snape, George, James, Remus, Dudley, Percy, Draco, and Sirius. I am asking for suggestions of characters whose reflections you want to see. I will dedicate the story to you if you suggest a character, as well as sending you a message when I put the story up if you sign your review. Please be nice and give me suggestions. I promise to respond to every review.


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